Managing Workplace Conflicts

5- Be the better man

Character counts. In the office, you want to be known as a person who is generally positive, amiable, dependable, and approachable. Be sure to stand apart from your pesky colleague who, for the purposes of contrast, is negative, dour, dubious, and inaccessible. You will always catch more flies with honey than you will with vinegar. Usually, our impulse is to side with the “good guy” in all disputes, large and small. Take on the good-guy role, and you can be sure to have an advantage over your opponent.

6- Understand intra-office alliances

Sun-Tzu said, “Keep your friends close, and you enemies closer.” While you probably have a clear idea as to who your enemy is, you must understand who you can reliably count on to back you up during this conflict. Essentially, you want to avoid mouthing off to or confiding in the wrong person. Moreover, eschew the temptation (because it may give you advantage) to implicate or even upset any higher-ups who may be irked by this personal conflict.

7- Distance yourself from the conflict

Finally, you might want to consider going about your daily business without giving much regard to the conflict. When people bring up the topic, quickly acknowledge it without delving into the messy details. Make it appear as if you are ready to let bygones be bygones. The more space you put between yourself and the conflict, the quicker it will be resolved (or maybe just forgotten). Dwelling on such unpleasantness is both unhealthy and counterproductive.

serenity now!

The art of conflict resolution — and coming out on top — is something that becomes easier with experience. In a perfect world, everybody gets along with everybody else. Unfortunately, you do not live or work in such a utopia and you must be prepared to overcome such obstacles and preserve your professional standing, image and well-being. Employ the above tactics to manage workplace conflict and you’re sure to come out shining like a silver dollar in the sun.